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I have no idea what "move worlds" mean/imply in this sentence:

I have moved worlds out of conviction, he thought.

I only have seen phrases like "move across the world", but "move worlds"?

Does it mean "Loki travel across many worlds"? If so, is it common or grammatically right to omit "across" here? Or does it mean "Loki changed the physical position of worlds" ? Or something else?

Could anyone help me understand please?

Here is the sentence in the context:

He got a little surprise then, in the form of quiet words from Agent Coulson. “You’re going to lose.”

“Am I?” Loki was intrigued. He paused to see what this dying mortal would have to say.

“It’s in your nature.”

Loki tried to understand what Coulson could possibly mean. “Your heroes are scattered; your floating fortress falls from the sky . . . where is my disadvantage?” he asked.

“You lack conviction,” Coulson said. He did not move from where he sat against the wall. Blood trickled at the corner of his mouth, and the enormous gun lay uselessly across his lap.

Of all the things Coulson might have said, this was perhaps the one Loki expected least. I have moved worlds out of conviction, he thought. Made bargains with beings who snuff out planets as an afterthought. “I don’t think I . . .”

The enormous gun discharged a bolt of dazzling blue energy, striking Loki squarely in the chest and blasting him through the nearest wall. For a moment, there was silence. Coulson watched, but Loki did not reappear.

The Avengers I

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While in this setting, it's possible that it was meant literally, it is an English idiom, a phrase used for a generally-understood figurative meaning. Some idioms are hard to unravel, but this one is just a commonly used metaphor. It simply means doing something that people would think impossible. As a slightly more specific metaphor, it might mean doing "world-changing" things.

Either Loki means he has literally moved planets, which is not actually beyond the realms of possibility, or he's just saying he's done some terribly impressive things.

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  • thank you so much for clarifying my confusion :)
    – user86301
    Apr 8, 2019 at 15:30
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If you have 'moved worlds' to do something, it means that you have gone to herculean efforts to do it. You haven't just tried your best to do it, You have gone above and beyond, and beyond again.

A similar phrase is 'moved mountains'

John would have 'moved mountains' to get to her, if she ever needed him.

Meaning that if an obstacle such as a mountain was in the way, he would physically move it out of the way. (metaphorically anyway)

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I believe it means that you are Doing Something Important or risked something dear to you to do something else. "I Moved Worlds to help a friend with Cancer" May be a good example, but it can also mean "I Moved Worlds Across the Galaxy" Which isn't physically Realistic. but is a representation. "I Moved Worlds to Mars" Is a final example representing physically moving to another planet.

Edit: When loki speaks in his mind about Moving Worlds, he says Conviction, and the First definition is what represents this as stated above, similar to "I Moved Worlds to help a friend with Cancer"

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  • But "Moved Worlds Across the Galaxy" is possible in this novel, that's why I am so confused, as Loki was traveling across many worlds to come to Earth.
    – user86301
    Apr 8, 2019 at 15:06
  • Hes Speaking in Conviction, Meaning In a Non-Physical way, he moved worlds to do something for something else. Apr 8, 2019 at 15:40

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